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An up close and personal interview with Army Veteran and Togetherweserved.com Member:
CSM (USA Ret) Joseph W Lupyak
What influenced your decision to join the Army?
I had four uncles that served in WWII, so I was very proud of my family's service in the Army. After High School I spent a few years in the reserves and had moved to New York City. When the Korean War broke out, I enlisted because I wanted to do my part.
Briefly, what was your military service career path?
I volunteered to be an Airborne Infantry Soldier when I enlisted in 1951 and was assigned to the 11th Infantry Division. Shortly thereafter, I volunteered for Korea and was assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division. I went to Korea as a Private and was made a BAR Automatic Rifleman and ended up four months later as a Sergeant First Class Platoon Sergeant. After Korea, I got out, but after 90 days, I missed the comradeship of the Army and re-enlisted. I immediately volunteered for the newly formed Special Forces and was assigned to the 77th Special Forces Group. In 1980, I retired after being the Command Sergeant Major of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) for 5 years.
Did you participate in combat operations? If so, which ones?
From Nov 1951 to Dec 1952, I was in the Korean War in C/1-15 Inf, 3rd ID. We fought continuously in the Chinese Communist Forces Spring Offensive, UN Summer-Fall Offensive, Second Korean Winter Offensive, and Korea, Summer-Fall 1952 . We were at ChoWan, Operation White Horse, and the Defense of outposts, Kelly, Caviti, and Nori.
In 1966 and 1967 I was the Team Sergeant of three different SF ODAs in Vietnam. We conducted hundreds of combat operations against the enemy.
And in 1970, I was chosen as one of 56 Special Forces Soldiers selected for Operation Ivory Coast, the rescue mission to bring home American POWs from the Son Tay Prison, 23 miles from Hanoi, North Vietnam. I was the Platoon Sergeant/Element Leader of the Redwine Element of the Son Tay Raid.
[Editor's Note: CSM Lupyak was awarded the Silver Star for his participation in the Son Tay Raid. See official Citation opposite.]
Description of Operation Ivory Coast: On November 21, 1970, U.S. Army Colonel Arthur D. "Bull" Simons and Lieutenant Colonel Elliot "Bud" Sydnor led a team of 56 U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers in a joint Air Force/Army raid on the Son Tay prison camp (located 23 miles west of Hanoi) in North Vietnam. The objective was to recover some 70 American Prisoners of War thought to be held at the camp. The mission, though executed successfully, failed to recover any prisoners, because all had been moved to another camp before the raid. The successful demonstrations of capability in Operations Ivory Coast and Kingpin were, in part, responsible for the creation of a joint United States Special Operations Command in 1987.
From your entire service career what particular memory stands out as being the one which has had the biggest impact on you?
The Korean War has to stand out above the rest. The 3rd ID fought hard under terrible conditions and hardships. The Chinese would send the first two waves in armed with nothing but hand grenades. The third and forth waves would have old weapons and bayonets. By the time the fifth wave came, we were out of ammunition. The fifth wave always consisted of their best, most well trained Soldiers with the best weapons. The comradeship among those survivors that fought together is amazing. I still get letters from guys who were there.
Which individual would you say has had the most positive influence on you and your career and why?
That's a hard question, because I have served with so many great Soldiers who had a big impact upon me. But if I had to choose one, it would be COL Robert A. Montell, the Commander of the 5th Special Forces Group. He was the smartest officer that I ever met. He lived and breathed Special Forces and we are still in contact today.
What are you doing now?
I am a DoD Civilian employee and serve as the Branch Chief of Branch 1 of the Training Development Division, Directorate of Training and Doctine at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Our branch develops all the training for the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course and the Special Forces Qualification Course.
How has serving in the Army influenced the way you now approach your life and career?
I think that I have a better outlook on life. Because of my Army experience over the last 60 years, I understand world politics and situations better than civilians who have never served. All of us who have served careers in the military have a better understanding of what is really going on in the world than those who never served.
How has Togetherweserved.com helped you maintain a bond with the Army and those you served with?
ATWS is a great way to keep in touch and reconnect with those that we have served with. I got a message today from a Soldier who supported my ODA in Vietnam. I also got an email from the son of an old friend who passed away, asking about his father. He found me on ATWS. |
CSM Joseph W Lupyak
(US Army Retired)
1951-1980
View CSM Lupyak's Shadowbox on TWS
Silver Star Citation
SonTay Raid
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